One could say that Asia was built on bamboo (竹）and few would dispute it. Bamboo is a fast growing plant that has provided Asia with food and building materials for thousands of years. But moreover, bamboo forests, though increasingly rare in Japan, are beautiful places to wander and be amazed in. Arashiyama in Kyoto boasts…
Tag: kyoto
Gion
The Gion district of Kyoto, home to most of the remaining geisha (called geiko here) in Japan, is what most tourists think of when they think of Kyoto. Though the wooden buildings have undoubtably burned down several times since the district’s birth five centuries ago, Gion emanates with history like no other place in Japan….
Hokan-ji (Yasaka Pagoda)
In the early morning and late evening hours around Hokan-ji in eastern Kyoto, the streets are nearly deserted and you can enjoy a magical moment of alone time with this six centuries-old pagoda. Sitting on a sloped narrow stone path, this historic pagoda is mostly surrounded by traditional wooden shops and residences. At one time the pagoda…
Maiko Spotting
One highlight of a Kyoto trip involves a chance encounter with a maiko (geisha apprentice) in the streets of the Gion district where they live and work. Maiko are such popular photography targets for tourist paparazzi that there are signs in Gion asking tourists not to bother them. Any maiko seen on the streets of Gion are…
湯葉 Yuba (Tofu skin)
Kyoto cuisine is beautiful to look at, so beautiful you might forget to take the first bite. But what is that odd item in the middle that is neither fish nor fowl? That is yuba, or “tofu skin” which is actually skimmed off the top of tofu during the curdling process. The taste is pretty…
南禅寺 Nanzenji (Kyoto)
Nanzenji is one of Kyoto’s most beautiful temples, in the foothills on the eastern side of the city. However, one can’t help but notice the large brick structure that cuts through the temple grounds. The structure is an aqueduct built to carry water and goods to the people of the neighboring Shiga prefecture. Though the…
365 JAPAN 